WorldSBK: PJ Dunks ‘Em At A Soaking Assen
Gordon Ritchie | April 15, 2016
The first WorldSSP qualifying sessions in a soaking Assen saw PJ Jacobsen (Honda World Supersport Team) put a smile on his Dutch team’s faces with the fastest lap of the combined practice sessions.
He set 36 laps in total compared to second place rider Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and his score of 21.
Wild card rider Anthony West (West EAB Yamaha) was third overall but a faller in the second session.
Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) mastered the wet conditions well to go fourth quickest, albeit 0.6 seconds from the leading rider today.
Kawasaki privateer Ondrej Jezek (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) was fifth, and part-time ESS category rider Ilya Mikhalchik (DS Racing Kawasaki) placed sixth, ahead of most of the full-time runners.
Top MV Agusta rider proved to be Gino Rea (GRT Racing Team MV Agusta) who placed seventh, ahead of another privateer for the Italian marque, Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta).
Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was the top official MV Agusta rider in ninth place, after Jules Cluzel had experienced a heavy crash in the morning session and placed 30th overall.
The top ten was rounded out by Kevin Wahr (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda).
Aragon podium finisher Nicolas Terol (Schmidt Racing MV Agusta) placed 12th and Triumph rider Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing) was 15th after re-forming his own team to take on the WSSS challenge.
Championship leader Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was only 16th in his first wet WSS visit to Assen. Of the 38 riders who rode in qualifying only 30 have made a qualifying time so far, largely due to the wet weather conditions.